UO dancers prepared
OV
J.C. Pock
There is a dance
dancing us
with all our strength
and innuendo
reflecting positively
on the face
behind our skins.
Jaspar Pound
Sometime during the next two
weekends the dance mentioned in
this obscure American poem
should appear in front of your eyes
here at the University of Oregon
as the Department of Dance and
the University Theatre present
“Dance 76” at the Robinson
Theatre.
The performers are members of
the modem and ballet repertories,
and the folk repertory which com
prise the Concert Dance Theatre
and th E Dobre Folk Ensemble.
This year the repertory dance
companies will present their
pieces in two weekends of even
ing performances on the main
stage of the Robinson Theatre at 8
p.m., April 1-2-3-8-9-10, with 2
p.m. matinees April 3 and 10.
Two different programs for
“Dance 76,” one being dedicated
to the bicentennial celebration,
will alternate performances on
each of the two weekends.
The Dobre Folk Ensemble fea
tures a suite of Appalachian
dances choreographed by a new
dance faculty member, Jerry
Duke.
Duke collected authentic folk
material during research in the
P——
southeastern United States and
has contributed a lively, foot
stomping number for the concert.
A Mexican dance, “Los Gatos,"
by senior Lawrence Hecox, fluid
and vicacious, requires excep
tional footwork by the performers.
“Tancolni Es Mulatni" (Dance
and have fun with the gypsies") by
senior Gail Andrews shows the
ethnic costumes and traditional
movement patterns one might as
sociate with such a Hungarian
title. Also from the Eastern Euro
pean milieu comes Jerry Duke’s
“Bulgarian Dance Suite.”
Concert Dance Theatre ex
panded its ballet repertory this
season with three new pieces.
Ballet director Barbara Reming
ton contributes a gorgeous pas de
deux entitled “Summer Nocturne”
that evokes a mood of warm,
romantic evenings under soft
skies. Her “La Soiree" is a ballet
for seven dancers in four sections
utitizing different types of move
ment that coalesce in the finale.
The dance is vivid, comic, roman
tic, a versatile piece of choreog
raphy.
For her first showing to Eugene
audiences, Ceil Forrest, a
Graduate Teaching Fellow
specializing in choreography,
brings two original pieces to
“Dance 76.” “The Party” is a de
piction of children playing games
and dealing with one another at a
birthday party.
Visual abstractions, line, color
and mood are the dominant ele
ments of her second piece called
“Portraits of America.” This work
Weis inspired by paintings from two
American artists, Norman Rock
well and Stanley MacDonald
Wright.
Janet Descutners “Red, White
and Blue Rondo" will open each
concert with speed, energy, color,
and tapping feet. It's all-out
American.
The popular ‘‘Jivin'” revives the
late thirties in true be-boppin’ style
with choreography by Jenifer
Pashkowski Winsted.
The development of America in
the guise of people and their rela
tionships is traced from its ag
gressive pioneering days, thgouth
the grown of cities, through war, to
the present. Music by contempor
ary artists such as Jeff Beck, Billy
Preston and Emerson, Lake and
Palmer accompany this intriguing
piece.
Dramatic, too, is Janet
Descutner s new work “There Is a
Dream Dreaming Us." Dialogue
provides an unusual accompani
ment in parts of the dance.
Schoenberg and Webern fill the
remaining listening minutes with
provoking themes. Lyric prose
parts derive from the works of
French poets Baudelaire and
Rimbaud.
“Resonances by Vera Blaine,
reconstructed by Janet De
scutner, completes the modem
dance program. Sculptural form,
purity of line and an adherence to
rules of composition are the em
phasis of this.
“Dance 76" tickets and informa
tion are available at the UO
Robinson Theatre box office by
calling 686-4191. Tickets are $3
general admission and $1.50 for
UO students with fee cards.
Williams play opens
at Coburg Inn soon
In his recently-published book
Memoirs, playwrite T ennesee Wil
liams says that Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof, scheduled for a Eugene
premiere this weekend, is his
favorite play.
Considered a modem classic
almost since its first performance,
Cat has enjoyed an unusual
measure of success in numerous
productions since its 1955 debut.
The American Shakespeare
Theatre revival in 1975 was so
successful that it was moved to
New York, where it played to SRO
audiences.
Eugene will have probably its
first chance to see what has been
called Williams' most human play
when the Eugene Theatre Com
pany (ETC) wiil present it, starting
this Saturday and Sunday, in the
banquet room of the Country
Squire Inn.
“Cat," says director Dan Hays,
“is a drama of survival...a portrait
of people at a crisis point. It is an
intensely theatrical play with a u
nique sense of humor.
“It’s an actor’s piece,” Hays
continues, "a play of character
that presents some of the richest
roles available to performers,
Maggie, Big Daddy, Big Mama,
Brick...strong challenges, be
cause they are the essence of
theatre, people exposed in their
weakness...and strength. A view
ing of this play can only lead to the
$3.69
JEFFERSON
STARSHIP
RED OCTOPUS
JEFFERSON STARSHIP
“RED OCTOPUS''
THE OUTLAWS
WAYLON JENNINGS
WILLIE NELSON
JESSIE COLTER
TOMPALL GLASER
PURE PRARIE LEAUGE
“IF THE SHOE FITS"
RECORDS
§un Shop
Across from the /nureruty bookstore.
conclusion that there is light in
darkness."
The orginal 1955 production
featured Burl Ives as Big Daddy,
Barbard Bel Geddes as Maggie,
and Ben Gazzara as Brick. Ives
repeated his role in the 1959 film,
with Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie
and Paul Newman as Brick.
The ETC production has John
Freeman, Kathleen Randall, and
Denny Guehler, respectively, in
those roles with Biq Mama being
played by Jacquie McClure. Other
members of the cast include Jan
Powell (Mae), Robert Webb
(Goope*), Wil* Emery (Doc
Baugh), and Dan Hays (Rev.
Tooker)
The Eugene Theatre Com
pany has been in existence for
some three years and is regis
tered with the State of Oregon as a
non-profit organization. Past pro
ductions include Three-penny
Opera, Checkov Comes to U.S.,
Old Times (also directed by Hays)
and, more recently, Forty-nine
and Fashion.
Cat on a Hot Tin Root will play
on Aphl3,4,10.11.23.24, and 25
at the Country Squire Inn. Curtain
is at 8:30 p.m. The bar opens at
7:15.
Tickets are $3 with the bar tabs
separate. Advance tickets may be
obtained at Meier & Frank, Toad
Hall, and the EMU Mam Desk.
The Country Squire Inn is lo
cated five miles north of Eugene
on Interstate 5, just outside the
town of Coburg.
Apnl 1 2. 3 8. 9. 10 • 8 p m Apnl 3. 10 •
2 30 p m
Hobmsoo Theatre Vittard Halt
*3 00 Admission • UO Scdents Halt Pnce .
Ph 686 4191
In cooperaton with University Theater
PLATfGNlIM ITALIC SET
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